Although we would like to preserve the full ten-foot ceiling height in the more public rooms, we have to accommodate the low profile utilities such as the insulated PEX runs and forthcoming electrical conduits.

Because the depth of the insulated PEX is only one and three quarter inches, we can provide enough space with a simple furring channel application.

To prevent the transmission of impact borne noises, such as footsteps, I have to decouple the furring channels from the floor joists. We accomplish that with a device called the IsoMax Sound Clip. It is basically a rubber block with a profile cut-out for the furring channel and a metal bracket on either end through which the piece is fastened to the floor joist.

We added a half inch plywood piece between the floor joist and IsoMax to give us the required one and three quarter inch clearance space. As you can see, the furring channel is decoupled from the floor joist and fastening system through the rubber block.

We hope that this little trick will provide additional peace and quiet. Actually, we really, really hope so, because those IsoMax Sound Clips cost an arm and a leg – between $5.00 and $6.00 apiece. Do the math and you know we have an expensive ceiling.

Based on my research, there is only one company that offers this kind of sound control solution – Kinetics Noise Control. It looks like they pretty much can charge what they want with only one player in the market. I tell you, that is an expensive piece of rubber!

About Marcus de la fleur

Marcus and his wife Cathy purchased a 100+ year old masonry two-flat in the City of Chicago to start a new pilot project – a deep energy retrofit. He is a Registered Landscape Architect with a horticultural degree from the School of Horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Sheffield, UK. Marcus developed his first landscape based sustainable pilot project at 168 Elm Ave. in 2002, and has also worked on a number of LEED certified projects. In that process he expanded his expertise from landscape architecture to building science, which continues to grow and which he applies to his own home.
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Follow our journey of a deep energy retrofit (or energy efficient rehab) on a 100+ year old masonry two flat in Chicago. The goal is to turn the building into a zero-energy home with a sustainable and resource-efficient landscape.